Toyota wants to test its autonomous car experiment in Japan. It seeks to offer a complete taxi service at the Olympic Games in which there is no need for a human driver.
Toyota, the world's largest automaker, has been silent on its autonomous car program. The Japanese company has released some information about its test vehicles and the types of sensors it is using, but we have seen very little of the cars in operation.
That’s about to change in 2020: Toyota says it will conduct a limited shuttle pilot in central Tokyo with its fleet of “SAE Level-4” automated vehicles. Level 4 is a reference to the group’s classification for an autonomous vehicle that can perform all driving tasks under a specific set of conditions, such as weather or geography.
A closed program during the sporting event
Toyota may be calling its cars Level 4, but that doesn't mean they'll be completely driverless. Japanese law requires a safety driver behind the wheel at all times who is ready to step in and take control when necessary. There will also be an in-car technician who will analyze the vehicle's system and performance and communicate with the safety driver, Toyota says. These trips are likely to resemble autonomous driving tests in the US, where they keep two employees in the car at all times.
Toyota only offers rides in their cars for a short period of time: July through September. The cars will be geolimited, meaning they will be restricted to a specific geographic area within Tokyo's busy Odaiba district. Odaiba's complex pedestrian environment, vehicle traffic, diverse road infrastructure and tall glass buildings provide a challenging environment to demonstrate the capabilities of Toyota's automated driving technology, Toyota says. People who are interested in riding the cars can sign up on the Toyota website. Then the automaker will select a group to participate and manage their trips. On the same dates Tesla already plans to start its taxi service, although it may be subject to change.
Source The Verge
